About the Author:
William Sydney Porter (September
11, 1862 – June 5, 1910), better known by his pen name O. Henry,
was an American writer known primarily for his short
stories, though he also wrote poetry and non-fiction. His works include
"The Gift of the Magi", "The Duplicity of Hargraves", and
"The Ransom of Red Chief", as well as
the novel Cabbages and Kings. O. Henry’s stories
are known for their naturalist observations, witty
narration, and surprise endings.
Introduction:
“The Gift of the Magi”, a short story by
O. Henry, was published in the New York Sunday World in 1905 and then collected
in The Four Million (1906). The story concerns James and Della Dillingham
Young, a young couple who, despite their poverty, individually resolve to give
each other an elegant gift on Christmas Eve. Though the gifts have turned out
to be ironic, yet they stand as an epitome of their love for each other.
The Gifts:
Jim and Della are a young couple who live
in a rented cheap flat and struggle to make ends meet. They do not have
valuable possessions except for his gold watch, which he got from his father and her long beautiful hair. The story develops on Christmas Eve as they both
try to find the best presents for each other. Della has managed to save only $1.87, and the gift she wanted to give Jim is far more expensive, so she cuts
her hair and sells it.
Della buys a chain for Jim’s gold watch
for the money she gets. When Jim sees Della first, he looks perplexed, but the
reason for his reaction is not her short haircut. It turns out that he has sold
his watch to buy a set of exquisite combs for his wife. The gifts that they
give each other are of no more use. Nevertheless, they are happy as they have
sacrificed their most precious possessions for the love they have for each
other.
Magi – Jim and Della:
The biblical magi or the three wise men visited
baby Jesus at Bethlehem bearing gifts. Jim and Della are called magi because
they have sacrificed their most prized possessions to give each other
appropriate Christmas presents. By this, they had shown unselfish love for each
other.
Themes:
The theme such as “giving is pleasure” is
found in the story. During the act of giving not only the giver but also the
receiver gets happy. However, the main theme of “The Gift of the Magi” is love.
Della and Jim love each other so they sacrifice their most prized possessions
in order to give each other a Christmas gift. "The Gift of the Magi"
expresses that love is more important than appearances. In this short
story, each character gives up that which he or she most treasures. Jim gives
up his watch, which makes him look important in front of others; Della gives up
her hair, which makes her the envy of other women. The story of Della and Jim
is also the manifestation of pure and generous love that is ready to sacrifice
everything.
Conclusion:
O. Henry's “The Gift of the Magi” uses an
ironic ending to argue that money and material possessions are fleeting
while love is a greater and more important source of happiness. “The Gift of
the Magi,” also demonstrates that love is the essential value in human life
that helps to overcome struggles. The situational irony in this story comes
from the story's climax, in which we discover that Jim has sold his pocket
watch in order to buy hair combs for Della, but Della has sold her long hair to
buy a watch chain for Jim. It is ironic that each person's sacrifice has
rendered the other person's sacrifice pointless.
No comments:
Post a Comment